Certified Chimney Sweeping

Chimney sweeping isn’t as simple as the term implies. Your chimney is a complex system with a lot of parts, all doing important work, helping to contain and remove harmful gases and combustible debris from your home. All that work can take a toll on the system. As hot gases and other byproducts travel up the comparatively cooler chimney, condensation occurs, forming creosote, a residue that takes on several different looks — it can be flaky, puffy, sticky — but always brings the potential for troubling issues, including blockage and chimney fires.

It’s important to have an experienced, licensed chimney sweep service your chimney regularly to keep it functioning as it should, to keep your home — and its inhabitants — safe. Our sweeps run through a detailed, multi-point process to properly sweep your chimney and make sure it’s ready to do its job.

If you’re not familiar with the chimney sweeping process, the Chimney Safety Institute of America — by whom A-1 Chimney Specialist is certified — put together this informational video, to offer a detailed look at what experienced technicians will do for your chimney:

You can expect the job to take about an hour and a half, and for your chimney sweep to clean and inspect everything from the firebox and grate to the chimney’s liner, smoke chamber, smoke shelf and damper. We also check for fire safety hazards and issues with the interior and exterior of your chimney.

A few things to keep in mind for before we show up:

It’s best to avoid using your fireplace or stove for at least 24 hours prior to your sweeping appointment.

Any furniture or other breakable items surrounding your stove or fireplace — within six to eight feet — should be moved.

Your pets will be safer and happier confined in a space away from the work area.

Prevention now can help avoid repairs later

Like any hard-working system — a car’s engine, an HVAC system — maintenance and prevention go a long way toward lengthening that system’s life, and keeping big, expensive repairs from being needed. An annual chimney sweeping keeps your system clean, functional, efficient and safe for years to come. Even if you don’t use your fireplace or stove often, it’s recommended that your chimney be regularly swept to ensure that everything is functioning properly when you need it to. Plus, annual chimney sweeping and inspection can reveal problems when they’re still small, long before an expensive restoration or rebuild might be the only safe option.

A-1 Chimney Specialist: The choice for the Tullahoma and Winchester area

Our CSIA-certified company has been providing quality chimney services to homeowners in the Tullahoma and Winchester, Tenn., area since 2000, and we’ve shown our clients that our chimney sweeps are committed to two things: a complete and thorough chimney sweeping job; and complete and thorough respect for your home, leaving it as clean when we leave as when we arrive.